Railroad-rail coupling.



C. F. @L S. U. MLDUNALD. RAILROAD RAIL COUPLING. APPuATroN FILED rms. 1915.

luhrntvdJulw 2S), 1915.

/8 rggrz;

6 @m f/emxbf,

narrano-enne@ courante.

, .spannen ornamenten. gestemd ,yummy 93mg() apparence met ternary e, wie. lee-nino. este.

ceive, and hold rigidly together, the con-- fronting ends of two rails. While the coupling is designed to permit the natural expansion and contraction of the rails, it wil prevent their vertical or lateral displacement. Furthermore, the coupling is so constructed as not to spread apart, and thereby impair its retaining eiiiciency, when heavy rolling stock passes over the confronting` ends of the rails held thereby;

he preferred form of embodimeiit'of our.

invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which-f Figure 1 isa perspective view ofl the confronting ends of two rails in place within our improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, revealing the bottoni portions of'the coupling and rails. F ig.

,-3 is a perspective view of the coupling or rail-chair itself. Fig. 4f is` a perspective l view, partly in section, of the base plate of the coupling. And Fig. 5 is a. sectional view through the middle portion of the coupling, showing the gap between the bottom of one of the rails which it receives, and the base plate.

rThroughout the specification and drawings, similar reference charactersv denote y corresponding parts.

In a detailed description of our invention, the numeral 1 designates'a rail coupling or chairwhch comprises a base plate ,2, upwardly inclined top portions 3%, and vertical walls iw-i, said plate,top portions and walls being integral with each other and constructed of any metal suitable to impart strength and rigidity to the coupling. Formed in the lower outer side edges of the said coupling, are notches 5 adapted tov receive spikes 6 by means of which it is rigidly secured to ties 7. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the numerals 8 and 9 designate two rails whose confronting ends are firinl heid together, and in vertical and latera alinement, bythe coupiing 1. This coupling is preferably first slipped on the end of one of said rails, so liat lts vertical Walls 4 4 will rigidly emrace -the web 10 of the rail, while the base 11 nf *the latter will'be iirinlyheldlon the base plate 2 of the coupling by its upwardly Y inclined top i portions 33. The coupling is Vthen preferably secured to the 'ties' by the spikes 6, and the confronting end of the other iail slipped into the open end ofthe coupling, whereupon there is formed a rail chair or union which will firmly sup ort the confronting ends of the rails 8 an 9, and rigidly hold them in vertical and lateral alinement. There are employed in this union no bolts or other connections likely to work loose, the whole coupling unit having marked simplicity and eii'iciency.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be observed that the integral base plate `2 of the coupling l has a concave or hollowed-out middle ortion 12. The surface of the middle portion of the base plate 2, is made lower than the level of its end surfaces for the following reason. If the two confronting ends of the rails 8 and 9 were to engage the upper surface of the Vbase plate 2 when slightly depressed by heavy rolling stock, there would be sufiicient leverage to cause the vertical walls 4 4 to spreadV sumciently rto release their firm hold upon the web 10 or other foreign substances within said depressed portion to escape; otherwise the confronting rail ends might depress said sand to produce the leverage described.

ur improved coupling for the confronting ends of two rails, though boltless, provides a union that is strong and secure, with no likelihood of the tiange portions thereof spreading apart to release the rails, but on the other hand, firmly holding the latter in vertical and lateral alinement at all times.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A rail coupling comprising a base plate, inwardly andy upwardly inclined top portions integral with said base plate, and forming therewith va longitudinal cavity to receive the confronting ends of two rails, and vertical side walls integral with, and extending upwardly from, said top portions, to firmly embrace the web portions of said rails, the middle top surface of said base plate being concave to prevent engagement by the abutting ends of said rails when the latter are depressed, substantially asl described.

2. A rail coupling comprisingabase plate, inwardly and upwardly inclined top portions integral with said base plate, and

forming therewith a longitudinal cavity to receive the confrontin ends of two rails, and vertical side walls integral with and extending upwardly rom said top portion, to firmly embrace the web portions of said rails, the middle top surface of said base plate being depressed a suiicient distance, longitudinally and vertically, below the abutting ends of said rails to prevent their engagement with the middleportion of said base plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 15th day of April, A. D. 1915. i

CLAUDE F. MCDONALD. STANLEY O. MCDUNALD.

Witnesses:

ERNEST T. HUs'roN, HOWARD S. SMITH. 

